Nearly Half of Retail Workers Plan to Change Jobs in 2004, CareerBuilder.com Survey Reveals

CHICAGO, January 12, 2004 - Forty-six percent of retail workers will be shopping around for a new job this year, according to the latest survey by CareerBuilder.com. Retail workers say they are motivated by the desire to increase pay, find a more satisfying work experience and move their careers forward. The new CareerBuilder.com survey, "Trends in Retail," was conducted from November 18, 2003 to December 4, 2003 of more than 500 retail workers.

One-in-four retail workers (28 percent) say they are generally dissatisfied with their current positions due to a variety of job factors. The most common complaint involves compensation with one-in-two retail workers stating they are dissatisfied with their pay considering the effort put forth in their jobs.

Retail workers feel they have taken on additional responsibilities - and stress - as businesses reduced staffs to combat a tough economy. Forty-two percent of retail workers report their workloads are too heavy and 51 percent say they feel stressed on the job.

In addition to feeling stressed at work, retail workers are experiencing anxiety at home. Working in an industry prone to rotating shifts and weekend schedules has left many retail workers struggling to manage personal and professional calendars. One-third of retail workers report dissatisfaction with their work/life balance.

Another major point of contention for retail workers is career development. Forty-two percent of retail workers state there is inadequate on-the-job learning and 43 percent report a lack of career advancement opportunities at their current place of employment.

"CareerBuilder.com's research shows that on average, close to 20 percent of retail employees work for ten or more companies throughout their careers," said Bob Montgomery, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. "With the economy in a recovery phase and job prospects improving, nearly half of retail workers will be on the hunt for better job opportunities in 2004. This means retailers will need to rethink strategies to attract and retain those top performers who will provide great customer service and increase sales."

Montgomery offers the following tips for retailers to increase worker satisfaction and employee retention: 1) Organizations need to provide competitive compensation and benefits packages. They should also offer non-monetary retention tools such as training, education and certification to demonstrate value to their employees.

2) One of the main concerns for employees is a lack of career development opportunities. Supervisors should meet individually with employees, discuss the employee's short- and long-term goals and carve out a career path that lends itself to personal growth and upper mobility.

3) It is important for workers to feel a sense of accomplishment. Organizations should implement employee recognition programs where supervisors reward employees for their contributions. They should also create ways for employees to thank one another for support or help on a project.

4) Organizations need to regularly assess perceptions of the work environment. Organizations should conduct internal surveys to identify employees' opinions and attitudes and deliver on proposed resolutions to create a winning corporate culture.

About the Survey
The new CareerBuilder.com survey, "Trends in Retail," was conducted from November 18, 2003 to December 4, 2003 of more than 500 retail workers. To collect data for the survey, CareerBuilder.com commissioned SurveySite to use an e-mail methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite Web Panel were randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to participate in the online survey. The results of this survey are accurate within +/- 4.34 percent (19 times out of 20).

About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is a leading online source for maximizing recruitment dollars and optimizing job searches with superior products, customer service and technology. With a unique combination of national, local and niche audiences, CareerBuilder.com makes it easy for recruiters to reach the most qualified candidates with industry-leading market research data and support. Job seekers can search for the right job from more than 400,000 continuously updated postings, representing more than 25,000 of the top employers in virtually every industry, field and location. Together with Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE:KRI), CareerBuilder.com includes the Web's top newspaper sites - the most trusted employment sources in recruiting. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, call 888-670-TEAM or visit CareerBuilder.com at http://www.careerbuilder.com.

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com